Churchill Downs is taking a more serious step following the horse deaths: canceling some races and moving the spring meet to another track. Multiple sources tell WLKY that the track will go dark after Sunday’s race. Races scheduled for next Wednesday through Friday have been canceled, and will not be held. Then, on June 10, the races move to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky for the rest of the spring. That track is about two hours away from Louisville. We are told that the races at Ellis Park will have the same conditions and purses as they have at Churchill Downs, and that the trainers, jockeys, etc., will get a stipend for the extra expenses. A trainer tells us some horses will stay at Churchill Downs and be brought to Ellis Park for the race. Others will move to the other park if they choose. Friday’s announcement signaled the severity of the horse mortality problem, as well as the challenge of reconciling it. Twelve horses have died at the track since April. So far, officials have not identified similarities between the deaths, other than where they occurred. But when track officials brought in an expert to examine the track, they said nothing unusual was found. Churchill Downs added several new measures Thursday including pausing track-based incentives, restricting the number of starts per horse and making poor performers ineligible. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority got involved and offered more recommendations after that such as having more post-entry screening and more blood and hair samples for horses. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said Friday that purses will be limited to first through fifth place, a move Churchill Downs made Thursday. The races went ahead as scheduled Friday, the first at 12:47 pm The last day at 4:55 pm Racing will also continue as scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. The meeting is scheduled to end on July 3. With this move to Ellis Park, 21 days of racing at Churchill Downs will be canceled. These include big draws like the Belmont, Father’s Day, Downs after Dark, Twilight racing, etc. Previous stories:
Churchill Downs is taking more serious steps after the horse’s death: canceling some races and moving the spring meet to another track.
Multiple sources tell WLKY that the track will be dark after Sunday’s race.
Races scheduled for next Wednesday through Friday have been canceled, and will not be held.
Then, on June 10, the races will move to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky for the rest of the spring. That track is about two hours away from Louisville.
We are told that the races at Ellis Park will have the same conditions and money as they have at Churchill Downs, and that the trainers, jockeys, etc., will get a stipend for the extra expenses.
A trainer told us that some horses will stay at Churchill Downs and be taken to Ellis Park for the race. Others will move to the other park if they choose.
Friday’s announcement underscores the severity of the horse mortality problem, as well as the challenge of reconciling it.
Twelve horses have died at the track since April.
So far, officials have not been able to determine the similarities between the deaths, other than where they occurred.
But when track officials brought in an expert to examine the track, they said nothing unusual was found.
Churchill Downs added several new measures Thursday including pausing track-based incentives, restricting the number of starts per horse and making poor performers ineligible.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority got involved and offered more recommendations after that such as having more post-entry screening and more blood and hair samples for horses.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said Friday that purses will be limited to first through fifth-place finishers, a move Churchill Downs made Thursday.
Races went ahead as scheduled Friday, the first at 12:47 pm The last day at 4:55 pm
Racing will also continue as scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.
The meeting is scheduled to end on July 3.
With this move to Ellis Park, 21 days of racing at Churchill Downs will be canceled. These include big draws like the Belmont, Father’s Day, Downs after Dark, Twilight racing, etc.
Previous stories:
